One of the many street foods you could encounter while roaming Lebanese cities is an all-time favorite special fruit cocktail that is garnished with nuts, ashta cream and honey. There are many variations of the cocktail, and what we’re featuring in this post is what’s referred to as “cocktail shikaf” which translates to “fruit chunks cocktail”.

Fruit cocktails exist in virtually every culture on earth. What I believe distinguishes this one though and gives it a Lebanese or Middle-Eastern identity is the Ashta, which is clotted cream with rose water. If made with original ingredients, it has an amazing rich cream flavor with subtle rose water aroma.

To get the best results, use only fresh fruits and make the Ashta cream from scratch. You could substitute Ashta with whipped cream but it won’t be as good.

Whenever I think of this dish my mouth waters! It sure teases the tongue with a barrage of complex flavors from earthy spices like Oregano/Thyme, Sumac and garlic along with green and red peppers. –

The Oregano baked fish is fairly simple to make: pick a fresh fish along the lines of Red Snapper, rub it with ground thyme or oregano, stuff it with garlic and lemons and bake it gently. Once cooked, let cool a bit then pull fish meat, cover with a chunky paste of sumac, thyme, garlic, lemon juice and peppers, bake again then indulge.

For best results, use a fresh fish and high quality Sumac spice (should be bright in color, dark means old) and serve immediately after baking. This dish can also be consumed cold. My mouth is watering again!

Rinse the fish with water then place in a baking tray and rub with a bit of salt and with about 2 teaspoons of ground thyme or oregano, place some cut lemons inside and bake for 20 minutes at 350F.

Meanwhile, chop green and red peppers into small cubes, then mix crushed garlic with lemon juice, 5 teaspoons of ground thyme or oregano, the ground cilantro, the sumac, olive oil and salt to taste. This should yield a red paste that you would then mix with the chopped peppers.

Once the fish is baked, and while still warm (watch out so you don’t burn yourself) remove its bones and scales, pull its meat then place it in a baking tray and scoop the paste on top of it until it’s all covered. You don’t have to mix it, the paste will seep through naturally.

Bake again for about 10 minutes at 350F so the paste infuses well into the meat then serve hot or cold along with a side of Fattoush or your preferred salad.

Place potato in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place in a large heatproof bowl. Mash. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add zucchini. Cook for a further 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add tahini, cumin and lemon rind. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add vegetables and flour to potato. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool completely. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Toss in rice crumbs to coat. Place on prepared tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Adas bi hamoud is a soup commonly prepared in all Lebanese regions. Its main ingredients, as its name suggests are lentils, chard and lemon juice. Chards being usually harvested during winter, this soup makes a good source of energy during cold winter days. Adas bi hamoud is a consistent soup that fulfills your stomach and boosts your immunity by its high content in vitamin C which also enhances the absorption of iron that is provided by the lentils.

Soups are always a great way to start your meal. Vermicelli soup is an easy and quick recipe to prepare. It is suitable for vegetarians and kids, and helps replenish body fluids and sodium during sickness. To have it as a main course instead of only a starter, cooked chicken slices can be added.

Total servings: 5

Ingredients:

1 cup of vermicelli

3 tbsp. of tomato sauce

3 tbsp. of vegetable oil

¼ bundle of parsley, finely chopped

Salt and 7 spices to taste

Water

Preparation Steps:

In a cooking pot, fry the vermicelli in 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil until golden. Remove the excess of oil

Add 3 cups of water and stir in the rest of the ingredients except for the parsley

This recipe is considered one of the 2 main dishes that were traditionally served during wedding ceremonies in Northern Bekaa, especially in the village of Aarsal where chickpeas are one of the major cultivated field crops. The other two recipes are “Shekriyye” or “Laban emmo w rez” and “Fasolia w rez” or bean stew. This “sweet” recipe rich with starch is served with rice.

Total Servings: 5

490 calories / serving

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

300g of chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 big onion, cut in julienne

500 g of potato, coarsely diced

500g of lean meat, cubed

2 liters of water

Black pepper and salt to taste

Preparation:

Boil the meat, chickpeas and onion in 1.5 liter of water for 30 minutes

Add the remaining water quantity and the diced potatoes and cook on low fire until the potatoes are done

“Foul b Selek” is a Beirut recipe prepared mainly by the end of winter season when swiss-chard is still available and spring fava beans are harvested. It is a balanced vegetarian starter rich in protein and iron. It is best enjoyed cold with some lemon juice that helps increase the iron absorption.

Serving: 4

Caloric content: 75 calories / serving

Ingredients:

1 kg of Swiss chard, cleaned and chopped

1 cup of coriander leaves

200 g of fava beans soaked overnight

2 garlic cloves, minced

100 g of chopped onions

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 tsp of cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 L water

Preparation method:

Add the fava beans to 1 L of water and bring to boil

While boiling add 500 ml of water and cover. Stir occasionally

After 1 hour, add another 500 ml of water

In a large pot, stir fry the onions and garlic in vegetable oil until they wilt

Add the chopped Swiss chard and coriander and cover until they are well cooked

Some like their molasses sfouf plain without any decoration – Akleh community kitchen

Molasses cake or sfouf b debs is an egg-less Lebanese cake made with local carob molasses instead of sugar. Carob molasses (debs el kharroub) is traditionally prepared in Lebanon – in the South mainly – from carob pods: a thick and sweet liquid is extracted from the milled pods soaked in water. Carob molasses is a natural and healthy substitute of chocolate, rich in potassium, calcium and phosphorous, and an important source of iron.

The carob tree Ceratonia silique is an evergreen tree native to Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus and found across the Mediterranean.

Total servings: 20

Caloric content: 220 Calories/serving

Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups of semolina

4 tbsp. of baking powder

2 cups of carob molasses

½ cup of powdered milk

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 tsp. of anise seeds

1 tsp. of turmeric powder

2 cups of water

2 tbsp. of tahini paste

Sesame seeds and pine seeds for decoration

Preparation Steps:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

Boil the anise seeds in the water, drain and let the anise water cool

In a big bowl, mix well the dry ingredients (flour, semolina, milk, turmeric and baking powder)

Add the oil and knead well before adding the anise water gradually until the dough becomes soft

Prepare your baking pan by brushing it with the tahini paste

Spread the dough in the pan and decorate it with the sesame or pine seeds

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Allow to cool before cutting the sfouf cake into squares

Can you smell the freshly baked sfouf b debs?Source: The Food Heritage Foundation

Assida is an Arabic dish popular in several countries like Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Oman, Sudan and Yemen, with versions varying according to the country of origin. Assida is usually eaten by hand, and prepared on religious holidays and special occasions like the birth of a baby. Modern versions of Assida include serving the pudding with honey, or pistachio, or date and carob molasses etc. In Sudan, Assida is sometimes served with a tomato based sauce.

In Lebanon, Assida also called Harira is a Beiruti dish prepared for breakfast or as dessert, and commonly enjoyed during cold days of winter. Based on popular folk stories, Assida was originally invented in the Ottoman period by women facing financial constraints. The created dish was not only consistent but also cheap to prepare and loved by the kids. The Beiruti Assida has a pudding consistency similar to “Sahlab” and is usually consumed with “kaak Orchali”- the long kaak cookies covered with sesame.

Beiruti Assida makes a wonderful meal on a cold day ????

For a healthier option of Assida, replace the butter with vegetable oil and include milk instead of water.

Servings: 4

Calories: 510 calories/serving

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour1.5 cups of sugar65 g of butter8 cups of water2 tbsp. of blossom water

Preparation steps:

In a big bowl, mix the flour with water until well diluted

Use a strainer to remove big clots and obtain a homogenous mixture

In a large cooking pot, add to the flour mixture to the sugar and butter and leave them to a boil

The Blogger

A food lover who wants to try every delicious dishes around him and spread the news to everyone to try it as well. Finding the latest trends about food and restaurants around Cebu and the rest of the world :)